Maestro Peter Nero, founding music director of Peter Nero and the Philly POPS ®, will be recognized by Councilman-At-Large James F. Kenney “for his ifetime of contributions to musical excellence and his commitment to preserving Philadelphia as a national focal point for arts and culture.” The ceremony will take place Thursday, January 31 at 10 a.m.

Honoring Grammy-award winning pianist Peter Nero is especially poignant as he moves on and begins to our the country at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 Philly POPS season in May. Launched on November 25, 1979, Maestro Nero has brought great pride and prestige to the City of Philadelphia for this 34-year history of presenting outstanding, quality POP music to audiences.

Highlights of Peter Nero’s career are:

• Two Grammy Award winning recordings – 1961 Best New Artist and 1962, for Best Instrumentalist and arranger.
• Million-selling single and album — The Summer of ’42
• Numerous national television show appearances — 11 times on The Ed Sullivan Show and numerous times on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; Emmy Award-winning NBC Special S’Wonderful, S’Marvelous, S’Gershwin; PBS-TV Piano Pizzazz with the National Symphony at Wolftrap and on the annual July 4 special from Washington, D.C., A Capitol Fourth: PBS-TV Special 25th Anniversary Of The Kennedy Center; PBS-TV The Songs of Johnny Mercer: Too Marvelous for Words with co-stars Johnny Mathis and Melissa Manchester
  • His first major national TV success was at age 17 when he was chosen to perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue on Paul Whiteman’s TV Special.
• 68 Recordings
• Composed the score and performed in the film Sunday in New York starring Jane Fonda, Rod Taylor, Robert Culp and Cliff Robertson.
• Peter Nero has performed with Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Mel Torme, Andy Williams, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Diane Schuur, Johnny Mathis and others.
• Senator/Astronaut/Narrator John Glenn woke up in space to Peter Nero’s composition “Voyage into Space” on his last mission.
• Peter has written other original orchestral and choral compositions including the Diary of Anne Frank, a work using Anne’s words as lyrics for 15 songs, a piece entitled Suite in 4 Movements for Piano and Orchestra and an orchestral tone poem, His World.
• A Long List of honors highlighted by:
  • American Federation of Musicians’ Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Mario Lanza Award, in recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of music;
  • International Society of Performing Arts Presenters Award for Excellence in the Arts;
  • Pennsylvania Distinguished Arts Award
  • Abraham Lincoln Foundation of the Union League of Philadelphia’s Lincoln Award
  • Six honorary doctorates
  • Stars in the Philadelphia and Miami historic walks of fame.
• Over 30 years in Philadelphia’s Fourth of July weekend celebrations. Peter is scheduled for July 3rd this year and next.
• And much more!